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Where do the items at auction come from?

Auction items are all offered for sale on a Consignment basis. The provenance of the items being offered changes from auction to auction, and we recommend buyers read the advertisements and consult with the Auctioneers when attending a sale. While the seller's identity is kept confidential, in some cases the provenance may be disclosed to buyers under permission by the seller, especially where such information is a requirement under contract or by law to give the buyers.

Are any items sold online?

It has been our experience at Federal Auction Service that the best and most complete customer experience can only be achieved at live auctions, where buyers make better purchasing decisions, as their questions and queries are answered, and they can bid with more confidence. Items for sale at live auctions are physically present for inspection 1 hour prior to bidding.

How can we preview the items for sale?

At Federal Auction Service, we will showcase some important items up for sale online. Again, in our experience, the best way to preview items is via a physical inspection. Fine jewellery and Swiss watches require a thorough and personal viewing in order for buyers to truly appreciate the condition of the items up for bid. For information purposes, we show select items on our website from time to time that are noteworthy in nature. A personal inspection of items of interest to you is highly recommended, and leads to higher levels of satisfaction for successful buyers.

What Warranties and Guarantees are available?

Warranties and Guarantees are limited to the descriptions on the Catalog, and override the limitations set out in our Terms and Conditions of Sale. All watches have a one-year limited warranty for workmanship when noted in the description, which does not include damage due to negligence or wear and tear. All jewellery items have a one-year limited service warranty for sizing and simple repairs that do not require addition of precious metals and gems. Federal Auction Service and the seller do not make any other express or implied warranties or representations unless expressly stated on our Catalog. We recommend buyers inspect the items to their satisfaction prior to placing bids, and ask questions to satisfy themselves on the nature of the item of interest.

How much insurance should I buy on my purchases?

It is recommended you purchase adequate insurance on items of high-value against loss or damage. Your home owner's insurance policy may not cover the risk, so we recommend you arrange additional insurance coverage on your valuables. The amount you wish to insure an item for is your decision; however, it is recommended you insure at least your cost of goods plus an additional percentage to compensate for market value, inflation, etc.

In order to help expedite your insurance needs for items you purchase from us, Federal Auction Service furnishes to buyers any Appraisal that may accompany an item. Appraisals provide an accurate description of each item offered as printed in our Certified Inventory List and submit a retail replacement value to the item for insurance purposes. We recommend you rely on the appraisal for authentication purposes.

Disclaimer: We do not recommend you base your decision to buy an item on the appraisal value. Please be informed that appraisal values have been prepared by independent and certified appraisers, however, due to the subjective nature of the appraisal evaluation process, Federal Auction Service does not assume liability for the evaluation aspect of appraisals. If an item sold has an appraisal, such appraisal will be presented to the buyer after the invoice payment has been settled.

Lab Reports may be available for some gems. The purpose of such reports is to identify the Color, Clarity of a Diamond and in case of Color Gems, the origin of the stone in addition to color and clarity. These reports also indicate any treatments that may have been used on the gem see Treatment of Gemstones and Watch Upgrades.